1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic connectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to hybrid electronic connectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic connectors are widely used for host computers to communicate with peripheral devices. The Universal Serial Bus (“USB”) is a popular standard for such connectors. Compatible devices are used for phones, keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, modems, battery chargers, external hard drives, flash drives, headsets, cables, and the like. The operating system supports compatible devices with easy installation. If the device is a new device, the operating system auto-detects the device and begins a dialog to locate the software driver. If the device has already been installed on computer, the operating system activates the device.
One problem with current connectors is that they become hybridized as connection standards evolve. For example, USB has evolved from revision 1.0 to 2.0 to 3.0, and will no doubt continue to evolve in the future. It is often not entirely clear which revision of the standard is supported by a particular connector.
Another problem with current connectors is that the female and male connectors are not symmetrical to each other. It is not intuitive how the device should be inserted based on its markings. Some computers have their female connectors mounted upside down and some are mounted vertically. From the user's perspective it can be frustrating to determine how to plug it in since it may be in hard-to-see areas. Users often resort to forcing the connection and damaging the connectors.
An additional problem is that connectors are often used to convey data, provide power, or both. It is often not evident from the physical appearance of the connector whether it is a data cable or a power charging cord. Also, if both the computer and the peripheral device are independently powered, the charging function becomes duplicative and wasteful.